In the first photo the dog Ryzhyk is pictured which became a symbol for his four-legged friends and for Olena herself, his owner. While Bakhmut is mercilessly fired upon by the Russian army, this dog came under fire twice and miraculously survived. The first time it happened when a missile landed near the house in which they lived, and the second time a missile exploded right near Ryzhyk (dog “titan”). Alabai Rem got scared and jumped from the second floor during one of the missile strikes. He is now walking with a bandaged paw because he was injured when he felt. Olena is taking care of him and is greatful that he is alive. Olena also once came under mortar fire together with her favorite dog Aira. The animal ran around the yard out of fear and did not know what to do or where to hide but Olena did not leave the dog alone out of worries about it. Fortunately, everything went well. Only the asphalt and the building were damaged. All of Olena’s wards currently live in the lyceum where she works as director. Due to frequent shellings their lives has to adjust spontaneously: the animals need to hide in the basement together with their owner. When it gets quiet the four-legged friends live in Olena’s office. Many of the animals are scared and stressed. However, Olena does not abandon them and stays with them, taking care of the animals and rescuing them from injuries which they receive during attacks by the Russian army because there is no way to evacuate.
Source: UA Animals
